Compilation of Good Omens One Shots

See you at the world's end

Summary: The world's end. Armageddon didn't make it, a great war between angels, demons and humans probably would. It's worth trying. And for some, it's worth trying to avoid it... Again.

⚠️ Don't read if you haven't watched season 2, spoilers⚠️

1302 words

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Six thousand years.

The Earth, the universe, the Great War. Everything happened six thousand years ago. None really ended. They have been through wars, a flood, even Armageddon. Today, another Great War is preparing. It won't be another war where angels fight other angels. It won't be a war where angels fight demons. It won't be a war where humans fight other humans. The war will oppose all supernatural entities, angels and demons, to all the humans. Or at least, that's what should be. Heaven and Hell allied their forces against humanity, with at the lead the Supreme Archangel of Heaven - Aziraphale.

A pair of wings appeared in the crowd of humans. Black wings. The demon rose to face the other army. It was Crowley. Somewhere, in the middle of the mass of white wings, an angel looks away. She* can't take it. She knew this day had to come, that she would eventually have to choose a side, but she didn't understand how painful it would be to see the ones she cared for on one side or the other, because she had friends in both. She had been friends with him since Aziraphale went back to Heaven, taking care of the bookshop with him, finally bringing him into moving in with her, taking care of his plants when he got too depressed, and sometimes, yes, sometimes managing to make him smile. Crowley had told her which side he'd be on, and still, she decided to be on the side she'd always been - Heaven's side. She didn't want to face him in this war, but she had to... Either him or any other.

Aziraphale wanted to look away, too, but he couldn't. He had to look at him, see his face. He couldn't allow himself to be weak, even when facing his best friend in a fight to death. Facing the one he loved, deeply and entirely. He knew that by coming back, he had broken his heart. Both their hearts, but he couldn't confess it. Nobody would have accepted it. Even Aziraphale himself wouldn't admit it. He was getting his orders from God, and he couldn't get rid of his charges.

But this was the day, and I needed to intervene.

DEMON CROWLEY, OR SHOULD I SAY, ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL. WHY WOULD YOU STAND ON THE SIDE OF HUMANITY RATHER ON MY SIDE? WHAT HAVE HUMANS DONE TO DESERVE YOUR MERCY? WHEN DID HUMANITY EVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT TO THIS WORLD? HAVE THEY EVER BEEN GOOD? I HAVE SENT WARNINGS. GLOBAL WARMING. EVERLASTING SEASONS. INTENSE WEATHER. DROUGHTS. THEY IGNORED THE SIGNS. YOU SPARED THEM THE APOCALYPSE, YOU THWARTED MY PLANS. NOW THEY NEED TO PAY.

Crowley, against all odds, stood up to me. He looked up to the light and decided to speak against me. My voice resounds in the mind of any; in order to be fair, I managed to make his voice louder, so that the great majority of beings could hear him.

'I know humans can be the worst of all creatures. I know they can kill each other and hate a lot - that's what Hell's there for. But I was there in the beginning. It's not just about humans, is it? It's about your Ineffable Plan, it's always the Plan. And I don't understand. You created this world, and now you want to destroy it? It only lasted six thousand years, six damn thousand years! You- you were there before, you'll be there way after, it doesn't matter much to you, but what is it really? Humans are your creations, and if there's one thing that they got right in their Bible, it's you love your creations, all of them, I dare you to tell me you don't. You don't want their world to end, cause it's not only the humans who would die, but every single animal on this planet! To your life, six thousand years is nothing, but a human life lasts about eighty years, let's round to a hundred, it's still six hundred generations. If you really wanted to end them, you wouldn't have waited so long. You had Apocalypse, too, and you're almighty, aren't you? If you wanted it to happen so badly, you could've gone back in time long ago. So it was all in your Plan, wasn't it? You don't actually want the world to end, do you? You knew that would happen, right? Right?'

I...

I'm glad nobody can actually see me. If they could, they would have seen a great smile on my face and I wouldn't have been believable at all.

Aziraphale flew down to him, approaching him. He couldn't bear to be separated from him any longer. He couldn't exactly join him either. So he stood there, in front of the one who was, not so long ago, his best friend.

'You can't do that, Crowley,' said Aziraphale.
'Of course I can, look at me, I'm doing it.'
'You know what I mean...'

He couldn't stop the war, that's what the archangel meant. Crowley knew that, though he didn't care. He had to try, as he always did. He only wanted the best for humans.

'I knew I'd meet you here. Well, there was a time I hoped...' he started with emphasis. 'I hoped you'd be siding with me.'
'Crowley...'
'Well, I guess it wasn't possible to avoid it, uh? With all the... hereditary enemies thing. Couldn't last long.'

Crowley had been hurt, the day Aziraphale left. He lost both his best friend and the only reason he had to live. Muriel had helped him, undeniably, Nina, Maggie, even Adam and the Them, who had grown older, tried to help him too. He had never entirely got over his separation. Aziraphale was hurt, too, way more than he let people see. The demon bitterly laughed.

'I said it, right? That it's how it would end. All of us against all of them.' he sighed.
'I am sorry, Crowley.'
'What for? You're an angel. You're doing what you think is good.'
'I am on the side I'm supposed to be,' corrected Aziraphale.
'No. You can choose your side,' insisted the other. 'Just as I have chosen mine, since the beginning. And I chose the universe.'

They looked at each other, silent. Crowley was waiting for a word from the other. The army of angels and demons was waiting for another kind of word from the same person. And Aziraphale was hesitating, torn between Crowley and Heaven - his feelings and his obligations. Searching for some support, he met Crowley's eyes and melted in the despair and hope he found in them.

Deep down, he had always known.

'And I chose you.'

He turned his face to the ones whom he had to lead - whom he would never lead anymore. The archangel Michael understood: Aziraphale was no longer on their side. Somehow, he felt like he had never been. Muriel saw the change too, she decided to follow Aziraphale's example and joined her friends. She'd rather be considered a traitor in Heaven's eyes than a coward for the others. They were the first ones to ever believe in her, they accepted her and she was grateful for that. They were her friends, they would always be.

Now there were three entities facing the rest of them. And for the sake of humanity, they would fight until the end.

'Crowley, if we get unlucky during this battle...'
'Shut up. We won't.'
'Yes, but if we do, I need to tell you something.'
'You'll tell me when we're done.'
'Alright.'

He wouldn't say it exactly. He promised. But he could act, and so he would. Aziraphale took Crowley's hand and, when he looked at him, surprised, Aziraphale took advantage of it to steal him a gentle kiss.

'To the end, my dear.'